Card rack



Patented Apr. 8, 1924..

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CHARLES H. Q ONGDON, OF EAST STROUDSB'URG, PENNSYLVANIA.

CARD RACK.

Application filed JuIy 10,

T a citizen of the United States, residing at East Stroudsburg, in the county of Monroe and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in. Card Racks, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to racks for holding cards, such for example as are used in schools in the teaching of reading, but it must not be understood that the use of the invention is confined to this particular field. It has for its object the provision of improved apparatus of this class, which shall permit the rapid and easy insertion of the cards, and which shall hold the cards after their insertion firmly and well alined. Other advantages will become apparent as the description proceeds.

By way of illustration the invention is shown in the accompanying drawing in one form which I find the preferable one, although variations from this form may be made without losing the spirit of the invention. In this drawing Fig. 1 shows the invention in front elevation; Fig. 2 shows it in side elevation; Figs. 3 and e are enlarged detail views. In Figs. 1 and 2 some parts are broken away to bring out more clearly the construction of other parts.

The rack comprises a left frame, 1, and a right frame, 2. The two are symmetrical and only one of them will be described in detail. The foot, 3, has secured to it three uprights, two of them a and 5, on the inside, i. e. on the side toward the other foot, and a central one, 6, on the outside i. e. on the side away from the other foot. These three uprights are also secured to the transverse cleats 7, 8, 9, 1O, 11, and 12.

Secured to the cleats 7 and 12 and extending to the corresponding cleats of the 0pposite frame are the shelf 13 and the top 14:. These serve to hold the two frames in their upright and relative position. The structure is strengthened by the two braces 15 and 16, extending from the shelf 13 to the feet 3.

Resting on the cleats 8, 9, 10, 11, but not secured to them, are the peculiarly shaped pieces 17. These are shown in detail. in Figs. 3 and 4-. These end views correspond to the ones of these pieces in Fig. 2 which rest upon the cleats 8 and 9. The upright 1922. Serial No. 573,790.

6, it will be noted, is broken away to give a clear view of the ends of the pieces 17.

Each piece 17 has a trough shaped structure. The inner surface of this trough has a straight side 18, which is in a vertical position, as shown in Fig. 4, when the piece 17 rests on the exterior side 19, but which is the inclined position of Fig. 3 when the piece rests on the side 20. Within the trough there is the roll 22. This rolls off the inclined surface 23into the position indicated in Fig. 3 when the piece 17 rests on its side 20, and is urged against the face 18 by the surface 24 when the piece rests on the side 19.

The roll 22 is preferably made in several pieces, as shown in Fig. 1, where the front wall of the trough is partly broken away to bring this out.

The ends of the trough piece 17 butt loosely against the upright pieces 6.

To insert cards, which may have letters or words printed on them, into this device, the trough is tilted back as in Fig. 3, when the cards can very readily be put into place. When the trough is then tilted forward into the position of Fig. 4, the roll 22 will hold all of the cards against the then vertical face 18, so that they are nicely alined.

The shelf 13 serves as a convenient place to put cards preparatory to inserting them or after their removal.

It will be noted that the rolls 22 are larger than the opening in the trough. They are inserted from the end of the trough and after they are once put in and the trough put in place, they are thus locked in place so they cannot be removed by the children or other unauthorized individuals. The entire trough cannot be lifted out, as each of them is locked in by the cleats above it.

The rolls are made of steel or other heavy material.

It will be obvious that the inner face 18 need not be brought into an exactly vertical position when the roll holds the cards against it, but may if desired be slightly inclined one way or the other. This will be determined by circumstances.

What I claim is:

1. In a device of the class described, the combination of'two lateral frames, a series of horizontal supports in each, the supports of one being at the same elevations as the corresponding ones of the other, troughshaped pieces each resting with its ends on a support in each frame, the troughs having two exterior faces either of which may be brought to rest on the supports, a roll in each trough, the inner surface of each trough having one plane face, the conformation of the inner surface and its relation to the said two exterior faces being such that with one of the latter resting on the supports the plane interior face is in an upright position and the roll tends to lie against it, and with the other resting on the supports the plane interior face is inclined and the roll rests in a position away from it.

2. In a device of the class described the combination of a trough, the inner surface of which comprises two portions, one of them being a plane surface, a roll within the trough, the other portion of the surface being of such conformation that by tilting the trough into one position the roll will tend to roll toward the first portion, and by tilting into another position the roll will tend to roll away from the first portion, and cans to tilt the trough selectively into the two positions.

3. In a device of the class described the combination of a trough, the inner surface of which comprises two portions, one portion being a plane surface, a roll within the trough, the other portion of the surfaceheing of such conformation that in one position of the trough the roll will tend to roll toward the first portion, and in another position of the trough it will tend to roll away from the first portion, means to support the trough, the outer surface of the trough having two surfaces adapted selectively to rest on the supporting means, the two surf-a cs being so disposed that by resting on them the trough is selectively brought into the said two positions.

CHARLES H. CONGDON. 

